The Gujarat High Court has granted permission to the state government to take back approximately 45,000 square meters of land associated with imprisoned self-proclaimed godman Asaram in Ahmedabad’s Motera region. This decision concludes a prolonged legal battle over the property near the Narendra Modi Stadium. The court supported the government’s move to recover the land, citing violations of the original allotment terms and unauthorized constructions that could not be regularized.
Justice Vaibhavi D. Nanavati delivered the judgment following extensive hearings on petitions filed by the ashram trust, which contested notices issued by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the district administration. The land was initially allocated for religious and charitable purposes many years ago, but subsequent inspections revealed unauthorized commercial activities and over 30 structures built without proper approvals.
Authorities issued notices to the trust for encroachment and non-compliance with regulations. Despite attempts by the trust to legalize the constructions by paying a fee, the application was rejected, leading to the legal challenge. The court agreed with the state government that the violations were significant, ruling that the illegal structures could not be regularized. It authorized the authorities to proceed with repossessing the land and dismantling the unauthorized constructions through lawful means.
Advocate Rajen Jadhav, representing the state government, informed the court about the necessity of the land for public interest projects related to sports development around the Motera stadium. Following the court’s decision, the AMC will take steps to comply with the directives, including demolishing the unauthorized structures. The reclaimed land is set to be integrated into the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave project, aimed at developing modern sports facilities and infrastructure for potential international sporting events, such as the proposed Commonwealth Games in 2030.
